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Before we dive right in, it’s important to ask yourself how much stuff you need to store and how long you plan on living abroad. If hypothetically speaking, you plan to book the earliest flight to London with the intention of staying abroad for more than a year. I would highly recommend that you move out of your apartment or the place you’re currently staying at to avoid unnecessary monthly payments. Let’s be honest, we all love money (some more than others) so why not save a few hundred dollars from rent. Savvy? So let’s say you decided to take our recommendation. Yay money! Great! But then it hits you, where are you going to store all your belongings now that you don’t have a place to store them. Fortunately, that’s where a storage facility comes in! Storage facilities typically offer a wide range of storage sizes so you’ll have no problem storing all your belongings. Whether you only have a little bit of stuff or whether you have a closet full of stuff, a storage facility will accommodate your every need. A storage facility is a perfect solution for storing your belongings at an affordable price while keeping your stuff safely secured. Most storage facilities pride themselves on their security so you can bet that they’ll have state-of-the-art security features to help ensure you’ll have a peace of mind when traveling. But before you jump onto this idea, check out these 3 long-term storage tips first!

1. As obvious as this tip may be, you’d be surprised how often this tip gets overlooked. Properly storing and packing. Now, this goes without say. Please make sure that when you’re packaging your boxes or containers to be mindful of your items. Now, what do I mean by this? Don’t toss stuff or randomly stack your items in a box, especially if you’re planning to store your belongings for the long-term. Be mindful of stacking the harder and sturdier items on the bottom of the box and work your way from heavy to light. This is a great way to ensure that your boxes or containers won’t deform and collapse onto one another. You definitely wouldn’t want your heavier boxes smooshing your lighter boxes underneath now, would you?

2. Decide whether or not a climate controlled storage unit is beneficial for you. How would you determine this, you might ask? This is the part where you would sit down in front of your stuff and laser-beam focus on the items that could potentially be damaged if left alone. When I said potentially “damaged”, I’m talking about the items in your possession that are climate sensitive such as wood furniture, electronics, musical instruments and so forth. These climate controlled units, however, are a little more pricey and expensive than the standard storage unit. But the increased cost is well worth it in protecting your belongings in the long run. To a degree, this may even help provide a better peace of mind knowing that your items aren’t subjected to temperature changes.

3. To invest in storage insurance or to not invest in storage insurance? Hmm, that’s a good question to ask oneself, especially if you’re going abroad for a number of years. I strongly suggest looking into storage insurance for precautionary measures. It doesn’t really hurt to add another layer of security to further increase your peace of mind. And in the event of a natural disaster occurring within the facility, you can rest assured knowing that your items are insured. Like the old saying goes, “it’s better safe than sorry.”

It’s that time of year once again, where friends and loved ones are gathered around counting down the seconds to start their New Year!

You know what they say! Every New Year comes with new resolutions and what better way than to start a new year than to be organized! But before we get started, it’s also imperative to start the new years with honesty. So, let’s be honest for a second. Most people, myself included, do a pretty lousy job of sticking to our new year’s resolutions. But that’s not going to stop me or many others from trying! Being more organized overall can help you achieve the most popular resolutions of losing weight, staying fit and enjoying life to the fullest! So for starters, let’s begin with organizing our self-storage units! Here are some self-storage organization tips you can do right off the bat!

Like many of us, we’ve either collected or acquired quite a few things over the past year and that’s completely understandable and relatable. Some stuff may be sentimental, useful, not useful or just plain junk, but to us, they’re all essential. Now as cliché as this may sound, we must control our beautiful junk rather than letting it control us.

When life happens, usually messes happen as well. This is typically the case because there just isn’t ever enough time to get everything organized. Well, you’re in luck! A storage unit can help you by providing a place for all your beautiful junk. One of the main issues when it comes to organization is having too much stuff lying around with too little space. So say bye-bye to your junk piles that you have to throw your body against in order to close. It’s about that time to send all that stuff that you’re “probably going to use again” into a storage unit where it can at least stay out of your way. So how do you decide which stuff gets stored in a storage unit? Here are some suggestions.

Go through each and every room in your home. Stop in any of the rooms and ask yourself what items are in this room that’s taking up space. There’s absolutely no reason for random stuff to be taking up valuable space in your home. Now, what exactly do I mean when I say “value”? What I mean by value is whether or not the item provides any usefulness. For example, if a toy elephant is placed on top of a drawer for decoration purposes or it holds sentimental value. Then by all means that toy elephant is valuable to your household. What would deem invaluable would be a stuffed animal that you placed on top of a drawer because you haven’t figured out where to put it. Items like these whether their toys, paintings, tools or etc. are perfect examples that are taking up valuable space in your home that offer no value. Now that you figured out what and what not to keep in your household, how does that help you become more organized?

Season’s greetings everyone! It’s that special time of year again; where cheer and joy surround us and excitement fill the air!

Christmas is the time of happiness but also can be a time of stressfulness especially when it comes to completing your Christmas shopping list. Am I right? We know the struggle of buying the presents we need. From toddler toys to more elaborate gifts for friends and family. Although the struggle of finishing your Christmas shopping list may seem difficult at the time it’s actually nothing compared to when you have to hide your gifts until Christmas Eve. Packing and wrapping the gifts may pose another new set challenge to some but that could be managed when the kids or extended family members aren’t there. The real problem comes after the presents have been wrapped. It’s definitely not easy storing or hiding a big glimmering shining present from the eyes of a child. We can all agree that children are very adventurous and they’ll find some way to stumble upon things we never thought would happen. Which is why I propose we hide our Christmas presents in a self-storage facility?

Depending on the presents you bought, you might want to double check if a climate controlled unit would work best to store your presents. Now, I understand that this may seem like a lot of effort just to maintain the excitement. However, kids actually anticipate Christmas not because of what they know they will receive but because they know that they’ll be surprised. I also like to think that most parents are concerned about storing gifts before the holidays. Say for example, sometime in August or September you stumble upon a sales event and in that event, there was something that caught your eye that would make an excellent gift. Now if I knew any better, chances are you’re most likely going to buy it and store it and use it when the time is right. This occurrence is what I’d like to call fate shopping or simply seizing the opportunity. Instances like these where we buy gifts far in advance have many perks and benefits. One benefit is that we have 1 less gift to worry about when it comes down to complete our Christmas shopping list. The second benefit is avoiding the long lines and last-minute shoppers at the checkouts. As for the perks, there are just too many to name so I’m going to share with you my favorite perk. Discount Sales. That’s right, discount sales. I’m talking about online shopping discounts as well as in-store discounts.

Now I can’t say this about everyone but I know that majority of us wouldn’t mind saving a few dollars here and there. Agree? I’ll take that as a yes. With that said, I for one love the idea of saving a few dollars while checking off my Christmas shopping list at the same time. Now I say this only because we can all relate just how expensive gifts can be. Before you say anything, I know that some of you may say that we don’t have to spend a lot of money on gifts. This, in my opinion, is absolutely true! I can even go as far and say the cliché saying “it’s the thought that counts.” Now although this may ring true to some, I think a carefully thought up gift that’s inexpensive as well as practical and useful can go a long way.

Christmas shopping can be a stressful task but it doesn’t have to be! Careful planning can help minimize the burden of completing your shopping list. Once you complete your early bird Christmas shopping and have them all neatly wrapped up, it’s time to store them! What better place than to store them than your Self-Storage Facility? Store your gifts and presents in your storage unit until the December rolls around or in most cases until the Christmas tree is in the house. Christmas is an exciting and wonderful holiday. A few thoughtful planning for this annual event is nothing compared to the wonders and joy it brings to those around you.

Let me guess, you’ve heard about self-storages before but never really had any reason to use it until recently. You’re probably also wondering where do you start and which facility is right for you. What unit sizes would you need and what to look out for and what not to look out for. While all these questions are great to keep in mind, this article will help simplify some of these questions to help you decide which facility is right for you. With that said, understand that a self-storage is a great way to save and preserve your belongings. People typically use self-storages for a variety of reasons such as clearing up space in their home or apartment. While others may view a self-storage as a temporary solution for their moving transitions. Regardless of what your case may be, we can all agree that keeping your belongings safe is one of the most important factors when deciding which storage facility to sign up for. With that said, let’s check out the 5 simple starter tips for beginner self-storage renters.

1) Find a self-storage facility with several security features – such as 24/7 video surveillance, electronic pin access gates, alarm systems, well-lit facility and more. These are some security related features you should definitely look for at any facility. Another tip to keep your eyes open for is how tidy the facility is, both inside and outside. The more well-kept a facility is generally translates to how regulated the overall facility is maintained. This is typically a good sign. Another great sign of a secured facility is if they have an on-site employee 24/7 as it’ll help bring in a physical presence to help deter potential shenanigans.

2) Find out if the self-storage facility offers insurance – whenever a facility offers insurance, that’s always a good sign. It shows that the facility is confident in securing your belongings. Additionally, having insurance on your belongings is always good to have in case a security breach occurs or your belongings are damaged. It’s highly recommended to ensure your belongings if you plan on storing your items for a long period of time.

3) Find out whether your belongings are sensitive to the environment – in other words, if you’re renting an outdoor storage, it’s important to make sure that your unit is completely sealed and secured to prevent any damages from the environment such as the weather. Depending on the items you plan on storing, a climate controlled storage unit is typically the best option. Without proper environmental protection, you belongings may be in danger of damages from such elements as floods, fires and rust.

4) Find yourself a secure lock – one of the most important security measures you can do is to take matters into your own hands. While a lock may seem like the most obvious signs of security, people tend to not take into consideration the lock quality. Keep in mind that some facilities may require you to bring your own security lock for your own protection while other facilities have their own security measures to ensure your belongings are safe.

5) Find yourself a notebook or something to record your items – it’s important to keep a map record of where your belongings are located. This’ll ensure that no one has been in your unit and that it was exactly as you had left it. Additionally, having a record of your belongings is great because it’ll help you stay organized come time to move. Another important reason why you should keep a record of your belongings is in case of an insurance claim.

Have you thought about running your own business and becoming a business man or business woman? Or perhaps you’ve already started your business and you’re using your living room or garage as your office space and product storage. With that said if you begin to notice paperwork spread out all over your living room and your business products taking up the entire garage space, then it may be time to invest in a more professional space. However, we understand that “professional space” is expensive and requires a lot of paperwork before you get the approval. This is why we propose that before you make that big investment renting out an office space or warehouse that you look into a self-storage facility. Rather than investing hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month on an office space, you could invest a hundred dollars or less on a storage unit. The storage unit approach will be highly cost effective, meaning it’ll be an affordable alternative to store your business products or equipment and clear up space in your home. This will not only be a step forward in your business but also a step to tidying up your home. Here are just a few examples of what you can potentially do with your Self-Storage Unit.

1) Online Product Business – One of the most sought after self-proclaimed businesses are the online product business which entails scalping or flipping products from major sites such as eBay and Amazon. If you are someone with a hunger to make a few bucks then this business idea is for you. Generally what you would do is find products on auction sites such as eBay or sites such as Amazon that are selling specific products at a cheap price and then reselling them to make a profit. Typically, this process of scalping takes a lot of time. When you find a good product for a cheap price, you generally would buy it and store it until you find either the right buyer or wait until demand increases. In order to find the right seller and right buyer, time must be spent storing and keeping the product in good condition. In other words, this is the time when countless living rooms and garages are sacrificed for a means of storage space. Fortunately, we have a solution! A self-storage unit can help you store multiple items until they are ready to be sold.

2) Business Equipment/Inventory Storage – For many small locally owned businesses, there are a lot of inventory and equipment that are highly important to a business but lack the space to store. Some examples include local restaurants that just don’t have the space store extra chairs, tables or even cleaning supplies in the event that a chair or table breaks. Having extra chairs in case of an emergency breakdown is a perfect example of a well-prepared business that’s ready to withstand unforeseen trouble. Rather than spending a time and effort to reorder a new chair, you can have it stored in a self-storage until it’s time to use. Depending on the type of business, there’s always something that needs to be temporarily stored.

3) Film or Video Producer – Aspiring to become the next big movie producer? Or looking to produce short films to upload onto Youtube to rack in Ad revenue? If you’ve answered yes to either question then this may help you! A storage unit is built in a way where it has the potential to turn into a makeshift video studio. Most storage units have a large enough space to shoot videos. Interesting enough you can also change the layout of the storage unit as many times as you like to ensure you get the best angles! Customize the interior of your storage unit for a more dynamic video feel. With that all said and done, another reason why a self-storage unit is great for aspiring video producers is that the equipment is typically huge in size and quantity. As a video producer is only nature to have multiple cameras with multiple lenses on hand. Aside from cameras, video producers have large equipment such as extended microphones, huge lighting lamps, light reflectors and many more. Now keep in mind, the equipment are fairly large and can take up a lot of space. Rather than taking up your entire living room or garage with your equipment, you can store them in a climate controlled storage unit.

Creating your own self-made business is an amazing accomplishment that you can definitely come to be proud of. Understanding that storing your business inventory or equipment in a Self-Storage is a good business investment means you’re already one step closer to becoming that ideal business man or woman. Storing your items at a self-storage helps create space at home for your self-made business. Here at Ojai Self Storage, we can help accommodate your storage needs. If you’ve got boxes of items to be sold or large equipment to be stored, Ojai Self Storage, may be the storage investment solution for you! Ojai Self Storage offers a wide variety of storage units in Ojai, California to help you get the most optimal storage space for you! To find out more information about our unit sizes, contact 805-646-8742 or visit https://ojaiselfstorage.com/ today!

Have you always dreamt about having your very own library but just can’t seem to find the right amount of space? Well you’re not alone. Most book lovers’ envision their ideal library with shelves and rows of their favorite books, magazines and comic books. One of the interesting perks of having dedicated book shelves for your favorite novels or comic books is how aesthetically pleasing and organized it’ll be. This DIY library is truly a book lovers’ paradise!

Did you know that storing your personal belongings for months to come isn’t the only thing that a Self-Storage Unit is designed to do? With a bit of imagination and creativity you’re able to transform your self-storage unit into your own personal library! Yep, that’s right! Your own personal library filled with tens to hundreds of your favorite books. So, checking out a book won’t be necessary or a problem. You also won’t have to worry about whether your favorite books are available because they’re all on reserve for you! Find out how you can transform your self-storage unit into a DIY library in these 3 simple steps.

Rent a Storage Unit with the Most Optimal Space – The decision to pick out the right sized storage unit space is one of the most critical steps in building your own storage library. Yep, that’s right! Figuring out the size of your storage library is going to help you in the long run. Guess what it all boils down to? You guessed it! It’s the amount of books you’re likely and willing to store. If you’re planning on storing the remaining books you’ve kept stored all around your house, then a smaller storage unit space is the ideal choice. However, if you plan on expanding your book collection, it’s recommended to invest in a larger storage unit space. We wouldn’t want you walking into your library to only come to realize you ran out of storage space.

Line Your Book Shelves Against the Wall – Now that you’ve got your storage space ready, it’s about that time we start building our library! What’s the first thing that pops in your head when it comes to libraries besides books? If you’ve guessed book shelves, you’re absolutely correct! It’s not considered a library if book shelves aren’t in place. With that said, book shelf placement is really important when it comes to building your storage library because of the limited space available. We highly recommend measuring the dimensions of the book shelves with the dimensions of the storage unit to see exactly how many book shelves you’re able to optimize and maximize.

Organize Your Books with a System – This is where your library will come alive! There are a few methods in organizing your books in a systematic sort of way which is either in alphabetical order or separate them by genres. We recommend separating books by genres with generic categories such as action, adventure, romance, horror, comedy and miscellaneous. Once separated then you may proceed organizing the books in alphabetical order.

Having created a privately DIY library is incredibly satisfying and rewarding to say the lease. Storing your favorite books, magazines and comics in a Self-Storage is one of the best ways to create free extra space in your home even if it’s a little. Here at Ojai Self Storage, we can help accommodate your storage needs. If you’ve got stacks of books, piles of magazines and collections of comics taking up space in your room or home, Ojai Self Storage, may be the storage solution for you. Ojai Self Storage offers a wide variety of storage units in Ojai, California to help you find the most optimal storage space for your DIY library. To find out more information about unit prices and sizes, contact 805-648-8742 today!

Believe it or not, using a Self-Storage Unit is actually considered an art form. Don’t believe us? Try it out yourself! Stack your boxes from left to right or from right to left in the self-storage unit and let your creativity run wild. With an added bit of careful thought and preparations, your stacks will not only look organized but it’ll be organized and that’s not even the best part! The best part is you!l know exactly where you put each item so that it will not be hard to find what you’ll be looking for! Check out these 5 helpful tips in organizing your self-storage unit to ensure a successfully organized master piece! Let’s get started!

1. Choose One Specific Box Size (if possible) – Having same sized boxes will definitely help make your planning process a whole lot easier. You’ll have a clearer estimation of where the boxes should go and how many boxes should be allocated to one side of the self-storage unit or the other. Additionally if you’re into detailed planning, you may go as far as measure the width, height and dimensions of the box for an even clearer plan of action. To make matters even easier and more flexible when you’re stacking, you may look into boxes that are interchangeable. For instance, using two small boxes that equal the size of one large size box. This is helpful and beneficial for you because you may want to store specific items in a box that you wouldn’t normally store in another.

2. Identify & Prioritize The Items You May Need – Let’s be honest here, there are certain items that you use regularly and items that you do not use regularly. The trick is to store the items you do not use regularly on the lower boxes. The idea of this tip is to have your most regularly used items on top of the storage for easier accessibility. One note to mention is to give extra thought to seasonal items such as Christmas lights, Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving decorations and etc. You may also consider separating the self-storage unit in half with one side having seasonal and frequently used items such as tents, sleeping bags, sleds and etc.

3. Label Each Box You Pack – This is where true organization comes into play. Labeling each box on the top and the sides of the box will help keep you sane when it comes time to dig through your belongings. There are several methods of organization when it comes to labeling your boxes. You can color code each box with a specific color to represent a specific group of items or use numbers to distinguish the boxes from one another. Perhaps even a combination of both color and number.

4. Create The Master List – Some people may refer to the master list as the holy bible of their self-storage unit. The reference is by all means nothing short of excellence. So once you are completed with your desired method of labeling, a master list should be created. This master list will be your ticket to maintaining your sanity. The master list will come in handy when you need to locate a specific item, especially if some of your boxes are completely out of view. With technology becoming more advanced by the second, you can save yourself the trouble of hand-writing the entire list of the self-storage unit. Instead you can opt to using Microsoft Word or another digital recording application to write down your specifics. With all that said and done, if you’re a detailed planner and you want to be extra. We recommend writing down the corresponding box color/number with a list of the items that the box contains as well as the location of the box in the self-storage unit. This is of course, one hundred percent optional.

5. Place A Map Of Your Belongings Inside The Self-Storage Unit – Drum roll please! The last step to an organized self-storage unit is a map. That’s right! A Map! A simple friendly reminder of the interior layout of your self-storage unit is the final tip in becoming a pro. Typically, the average person that visits their self-storage unit ranges between a few weeks to a few months depending what is stored in the facilities. We sometimes tend to be forgetful at times and as a safety measure, a map can help alleviate time spend digging through your belongings.